Cloud and the Beast
by Divanora
Summary: A retelling of the classic fairy tale with the characters of FFVII, slash style.


Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, it's world or characters (or Beauty and the Beast for that matter) I make no money off of this

A/N – so, this was supposed to be at the most 5000 words, just a quick retelling of my favourite fairy tale with the characters of my favourite video game. Whoops.

Before I get everyone saying 'hey this has been done before'. Yea, I'm sure it has. But I haven't seen it. I've seen plenty of Cinderella, but not Beauty and the Beast. I personally think that one's really fitting. Still, I hope you enjoy my take on it. And if there are other FFVII Beauty and the Beasts – please tell me, I'd love to read them!

Btw, this is the non-explicit version, if you want the explicit version (aka the smut) go to my account on AFF

* * *

Prince Sephiroth sighed as he watched the nobles twirl around the dance floor. He hated these formal events, all the minor provincial ladies fawning all over him and the lords practically tripping over themselves to kiss his ass. Still, at least this was the last event of the season; after this he could return to Midgar, where he could tumble both boys and girls and no one expected a ring afterwards. His main advisor, Angeal, looked just as bored as he was, even though he had to keep an eye on the bouncing ball of energy that was his prodigy and Sephiroth's head guard.

Right now said guard was enthralled with his fiancé on the dance floor, twirling the Lady Aerith around with a smile. He felt a small stab in his chest, and wondered what he had eaten to cause him such discomfort. Sephiroth's eyebrows rose as he saw his butler gracefully weaving through the masses. Kunsel gave a small bow before hurrying to the Prince's side.

"My lord, there is an older gentleman outside; he wishes a word with you."

Sephiroth looked at the boy in shock. "And why did you not send him away already? My audiences are over for this province for the year, you know that. If it is that serious an issue he can send to the capital."

Kunsel looked nervous, fidgeting from one foot to the next. "He...won't leave sire. He's said he'll stand outside the door all night if need be."

Snorting, Sephiroth waved the boy away. "Then let him. He'll probably freeze, even if it is supposedly summer here."

The butler bowed and backed away, not willing to risk the Prince's wrath. The last two butlers, Essai and Sebastian, both had permanent posts at the North Crater for 'overstepping their bounds'. There were rumours that they were actually dead, or being used in horrific experiments. Kunsel wasn't eager to find out first hand.

A few hours later, and the nobles finally started to leave. Angeal kept his place by his Prince's side, Zack and Aerith were still twirling around the dance floor even though the musicians had already left, and had dragged his nephews into it as well. Kadaj and Yazoo twirled around gracefully, as Loz stood on the sidelines watching his brothers with a fond smile. Sephiroth often thought the three were too close for brothers, but as they didn't stand to inherit, he indulged them and turned a blind eye. Besides, it gave him reason to punish people when they called his beloved family members 'unnatural' or 'disgusting'.

Sephiroth decided that it was by far time to call it a night. The only ones left were his household anyway. He signalled to his valet that he was retiring, and Luxiere jumped to attention and trailed the taller man out of the ballroom. The Prince could feel the boy's shaking, but ignored it. Really, Sephiroth didn't care for the situation either, he would much rather have an attractive and willing bed partner, but he would take what he could get in this situation. His mother would never let him hear the end of it if he bedded one of the locals and caused a scandal.

As they passed the doorway to the small manor, Sephiroth could hear pounding, and behind that, a lovely voice demanding the Prince's attention. He frowned; he could have sworn that Kunsel said it was an old man and that didn't sound anything like an old man's voice. Deciding to find out if his butler had been lying and needed to be...re-assigned, Sephiroth changed direction. The voice certainly sounded attractive, and Sephiroth found himself intrigued. Maybe he wouldn't have to deal with his valet's whining and crying tonight.

But as he opened the doors to the mansion, the Prince saw that it truly was an old man. His clothing was tattered and looked worn through in places, his skin looked like he had some noxious disease, and his hair was more gray than the auburn it must have been at one time. Surprisingly enough, the man's eyes were still a vibrant blue. It was a shame really; in his youth the man must have been stunning.

"My Prince! Thank you for seeing me. I hoped there was a bed you could offer to a traveller who has fallen on hard times?"

Sephiroth couldn't have stopped the sneer from coming to his face if he tried. The old fool had been pounding on his door for hours, just to beg a place to sleep?

"I think not. There is a village down this path; surely one of them won't mind having a beggar dirty their doorways. Be gone with you." He waved a hand dismissively at the beggar and turned to head upstairs.

"Ah, Sephiroth. You think yourself a god amongst men. But really, you are just a monster. I will give you one last chance though, a final gift of the goddess. There is a new tree in your garden, if you have not found someone to truly love you, even with your flaws, by the time the last apple falls from the tree, then you will remain like this forever."

Sephiroth turned around to ask what on earth the crazy man was talking about when he felt his muscles contract. Crumpling to the ground, he saw claws coming out of hands that were no longer quite human. Looking down, he saw he was covered in a fine, silvery fur, his clothing destroyed from where his body had expanded. Vaguely he noted that Luxiere had fainted, but more importantly, he noticed that the old man was no longer so old. Now a lovely redhead stood in his doorway, in luxurious red leathers, bright eyes looking almost – sad.

"How...?" Sephiroth stopped; amazed that even his voice had changed.

"How is not important, Sephiroth. Remember, you have until the last apple falls to find someone who can love you regardless of your looks and miserable personality." Spreading a wing that the Prince hadn't even noticed before, the strange man took to the sky.

Closing the door, Sephiroth made his way shakily back to the ballroom, where he hoped Angeal still was. His advisor could fix this, he knew it.

There was, however, chaos in the ballroom. His nephews had undergone similar transformations, growing thick silver pelts and sporting cat ears and tails. If he had to guess, he'd say they looked rather like snow leopards. All except Loz, who had grown a rather impressive mane. The boys were hissing and attempting to attack each other, even the normally stoic eldest. Angeal was holding him back, while Zack held onto Kadaj, and Kunsel and Aerith were doing their best to hold Yazoo.

They weren't the only ones to change; Zack, Angeal and Aerith had both grown canine ears and tails, and Angeal had an amazing pair of white wings.

The door burst open, and the manor's groundskeeper and general handyman came bursting through the doors. "Wha is the meanin' of this?"

All of the fighting and shouting stopped, and Zack, predictably, starting laughing. His nephews also starting to laugh, ignoring their own feud for the moment and even Aerith giggled behind her hand. Sephiroth thought for a moment he might have seen a smirk on Angeal's face as well, but passed it off as stress from the trying evening. He could see why though; Barrett had often been called a bear of a man – now he was more bear than man.

"Barrett, as you can see, some dishonourable spell has been cast on the household. Rest assured we will be working nonstop to get this resolved."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his advisor's politeness even to the lowest servants. "Is everyone accounted for then?"

"Sire, now everyone is." Luxiere shuffled inside, looking like a nervous, wide eyed chocobo chick. The yellow feathers and crest didn't help with that image. Well, there went his libido for the evening. Even desperate he wouldn't bed someone that looked like _that. _ Behind him, the head stable hand came in, looking rather grizzly himself. Behind him came the head cook, Shera, clinging to his hand and twitching every so often. He thought someone was behind her before he saw it was just a big bushy squirrel tail.

"So, what do we do now?" Zack still had a hand on Kadaj's arm, clearly expecting the boys to start their fight again at any moment. The dog ears on his head were twitching wildly, and even Sephiroth had to suppress a grin. Angeal had only recently stopped calling him 'puppy'; it was almost a certainty that name would be making a comeback.

"For now, we will all go to bed. There are plenty of books on magic in the library; it should only be a matter of a few days, perhaps a week, before we find out how to undo this."

Although no one looked particularly happy about the solution, they obeyed their prince and exited the hall. As cruel as he was, they trusted that he would have things set to rights soon enough.

_Some Years Later..._

Vincent stumbled as he tried to make it the last few miles back to town. His chocobo had spooked as a dragon roared somewhere in the mountains and had taken off. During the mad flight down the path, his cart had hit a rock and shattered the wheel, sending him and the rest of his cargo flying. Unfortunately for him, he had landed on his knee, shattering it, and the winter night was getting colder. He kept one hand on his large shotgun, the only thing he had bothered to salvage from the wreckage, but the dark haired man was starting to realize he had more to fear from exposure than wolves. A branch was working as a makeshift crutch, but he was still making poor time.

Finally collapsing against a tree, he despaired of ever making it back home. He flinched as the twin howls he had heard earlier came again closer. Vincent faded in and out of consciousness for a while, the cold threatening to plunge him into darkness permanently.

"Aer, hey Aer! I think I found the rider!"

Now he knew he was done for; he was hallucinating that the wolves he had heard were talking like people. But he didn't have time to think on that as he lost his fight to stay awake.

* * *

The former Prince groaned as he heard the front door thrown open. The wolves were back. After the rider-less chocobo had shown up, the two kind hearted servants had insisted on going out and seeing if the rider still lived.

Zack bounded into the room, tail wagging hard enough to shift his entire body. "We found him Seph! And guess what, he's a looker! I think you'll have a chance with this one!"

Sephiroth levelled a glare at the wolf - who just ignored it with the ease of someone long used to receiving those looks. Another reason to hate this damn castle; there wasn't a single person who was afraid of his glare any more. Even Luxiere and Shera were immune by now! It was a blow to his self esteem that a man that was practically a chocobo and a woman that was nearly a squirrel could ignore glares that used to make grown men piss themselves.

And still they would bring back men and women that they thought would break the curse. It never worked; at first Sephiroth had bedded them without worrying about it, but when years had passed and the first few apples had fallen from the tree, the full impact of what had been done to him settled in. That, and as the apples fell, the curse grew worse. What had originally been just a few odd – additions – were slowly taking over. At this point, the only thing that separated them from the animals they were gradually turning into were the facts that they could talk, and they still walked – mostly – on two legs. He could swear he saw Kadaj run through on all fours with his tail puffed out after Loz had the brilliant idea of throwing him into the pool. But that really shouldn't have surprised him.

So Zack and Aerith would find wayward travellers that he thought were attractive enough to catch Sephiroth's eye, and drag them back to the mansion. It always went badly; the first years when he bedded them without caring about their reactions they would do everything possible to escape; some of them even killing themselves to get away. After that, they would still run at the first sight of him; the only difference was that he had instructed Zack to just let them go. His guard was saddened by this, but never stopped them.

"Zackary, why do you still bother with this? You know they never stay."

Ears back against his skull as his good mood was destroyed Zack looked up at his former prince, who now stood nearly a foot taller than him. "I know Seph, but we still gotta try right? I know there's not much time left..."

Sephiroth frowned, not wanting to think about the fact that most of the apples had fallen, and the tree was nearly bare. He didn't really care for himself anymore, but his servants...his friends...deserved better. If it was possible, he would have sent them away. It bothered him now, although he hadn't cared at first, that the man that had cursed him cursed his household along with him. They had done nothing wrong except follow the wrong prince. Now it was over a century later, they were all trapped in bodies that were more animal than human, and steadily growing more so, with no hope of ever being changed back. Yet even after all that, they didn't blame him, and they had stayed with him. Not that there really was anywhere for them to go, but still.

"Fine, I will see this man. I don't believe it will do any good though." He followed behind Zack to the 'guest room' that they kept set up for the 'suitors' they dragged back to the manor. There was a dark haired man, clearly unconscious, laying on the bed. At least Zack had been correct in that he was quite attractive. His knee was also clearly shattered badly, and Aerith was at the side of the bed, using her not inconsiderable healing skills to do what she could for him.

"See, he has to stay for a while, he won't be physically able to go anywhere, right Aerith?"

The brunette nodded, not looking up from her task. "Yes, unfortunately even with my skills it will be a few weeks before he can walk on the leg without pain."

"I suppose let me know once he is awake, it would be best if I was not the first one he saw; I wouldn't want his leg to be damaged further if he panicked."

Aerith gave a good impression of pursing her lips in annoyance; she clearly wanted to say something, but unlike her fiancé the girl was smart enough to realize that no matter what they wouldn't be able to convince Sephiroth that he wasn't a monster.

"Fine then, I'll stay with him until he wakes."

Nodding, Sephiroth left. He wasn't looking forward to seeing the fear and condemnation in another person's eyes, but he would not tell the two wolves how much it hurt each time they brought someone new home.

* * *

Vincent groaned as he struggled back into consciousness. The last thing he could remember was getting thrown from his chocobo and struggling through the woods. Even before opening his eyes it was clear that he was no longer in the woods. Although his knee ached, so it hadn't been a dream.

He reluctantly opened his eyes, wanting to know who had bothered to go up into the mountains to search for him. It couldn't have been Cloud, as he wasn't due back for a couple of weeks, so he guessed it had to be Zangan.

So, he was quite surprised when he saw in front of him, not the older Wutaian, but one of the wolves from the woods. She smiled at him, showing off an impressive amount of teeth, but the look in her eyes was kind, and intelligent, so he gave her a small smile back.

"Oh, I am glad you are awake! I thought you'd sleep a bit longer, but now Zack can stop fretting. You had a bad case of hypothermia – any longer and I don't know if you would have woken up."

Vincent nodded. "Then I thank you, and this...Zack. I presume he was the other I saw in the woods?"

She smiled, and nodded. "Yes, he is my fiancé. My name is Aerith, and we are the ones you saw. I am very sorry if we scared you. Your chocobo came here and we were trying to find you for some time. You managed to get quite some distance from your cart!"

The brunette raised an eyebrow at her scolding tone. "Well then, Lady Aerith, I thank both you and your fiancé for rescuing me, and for taking such good care of me."

"Of course! Now, if you don't mind, the lord of the house has been waiting for you to wake up to meet you. I want you to be nice to him."

Vincent was surprised to be fighting yet another smile, but he couldn't help it. The woman seemed like the type to mother everyone, and in comparison to her outward appearance it was amusing. He nodded his agreement and she dashed out of the room. He lost his battle against his wayward facial expressions when he saw the silvery tan tail wagging as she disappeared out the door.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps in the hallway. Already having seen the wolf woman, he expected something similar, and managed to not show any surprise when the 'lord' walked into the room. The man – if you could call him that – was tall, nearly seven feet, and reminded Vincent strongly of a behemoth. There were two horns jutting from his head, silvery fur with the faintest hints of black stripes, and long silver hair that was closer to a mane. His hands and feet were closer to paws, with dangerous looking claws. A thick tail twitched from behind him, and Vincent got the feeling that the other was...nervous. It struck him as odd at first, but then he realized what the reaction of most people would be to his appearance. He raised his eyes to meet intense green slit pupil eyes, and nodded a greeting.

"Thank you, sir, for your hospitality, and for the care your people have shown me."

The stilling of the tail and a slight twitch of his eyes were the only things that gave away his surprise. "You...are welcome. My name is Sephiroth, and you are welcome here as long as you would like. If there is anything I can do to make your recovery easier, please let me know."

Vincent nodded, but his common sense overrode his politeness. "Perhaps...a book or two, if it's not a problem? "

Sephiroth smiled slightly, and nodded. "I have quite an extensive library. What subjects would you prefer?"

"I don't suppose you have 'A treatise on the advancement of Wutai weaponry'? I was in the middle of reading about that one."

This time the other wasn't as good at hiding his shock. "You enjoy books on weaponry?"

Vincent smiled slightly, and nodded. "Yes. I prefer a firearm myself, but I have always enjoyed watching sword work. It's very...beautiful."

Sephiroth thought longingly of his own sword and nodded. It didn't take long before the two found themselves deeply embroiled in a debate over which fighting method was best.

* * *

Cloud sighed as he urged the chocobo up the steep mountain pass leading into Nibelheim. Tifa had better be damn grateful for this; it was her big doe eyes that convinced him to bring this shipment – which included several love letters – to her fiancé in Midgar. She had to move back to the small town to take care of her aging father, and she hadn't been very happy about it. While Cloud did enjoy having his childhood friend back, he could understand her displeasure at being separated from Rude.

After his trip, he could understand why she wanted to get back to the city. He had met with Rude, whom he hadn't realized was one of the King's personal bodyguards. From there he had met the rest of the group, Tseng, Reno and Elena. Reno he had especially had a lot of fun with; the redhead had taken him out and shown him the best bars. It was also thanks to the red head that he understood a little something more about himself.

He was being pressured more and more to find a girl and settle down. At least, that's what his guardian Vincent wanted him to do. Cloud was starting to find that he just didn't care to think about girls in that way; the two girls that Vincent kept throwing at him were sweet enough, but he just didn't see himself settling with them. After a long night at the bar, and some drunken groping, Cloud realized that he would prefer being with another male. Granted, in Nibelheim that sort of thing just wasn't done, but it appeared in Midgar it was perfectly acceptable. Hell, even King Rufus had a male lover on the side, and his wife Yuffie had her own female lover. It made him want to move to the city even more.

Then there was creepy old Dr. Hojo. Apparently, from the gossip Tifa had brought back with her, he'd been banned from practicing medicine in any respectable place, but in Nibelheim, where people still thought leeches were an acceptable healing method, he was welcomed with open arms. Every time he saw the man he could feel the doctor's eyes following him. It made him want to bathe each time he encountered the older man. Other than the fact that Hojo was nearly old enough to be his grandfather, he had poor hygiene, treated everyone as inferior, and generally looked like a chocobo herd had run over his face repeatedly.

But just as Tifa wouldn't leave her father, Cloud wouldn't leave the man who had raised him. After his mother had died in a fire when he was young, the stranger had taken him in, and treated him like his own son. The blond didn't know what had happened in Vincent's past, but he knew he was hiding from something, and that something was in Midgar.

"Cloud!" The blond looked up as Tifa ran towards him. "Vincent's disappeared – he went to trade with Rocket Town and hasn't returned."

"Tif, Vincent is capable of taking care of himself. "

"I know, but he's been overdue for two weeks. Tell me the last time he took _that_ long."

Frowning, Cloud realized the brunette had a point. Vincent may take a few extra days – there was apparently a pilot in the other town that wouldn't let him say no to going out for a few drinks – but never that long. If the delay had been in Rocket Town he at least would have sent word.

Sighing, he stopped by his house to drop off his pack then headed straight back out. He knew the path Vincent always took, having gone often enough with him, he just hoped there was some sort of sign as to where he had gone.

* * *

He stared up at the gate to the manor house. In Nibelheim there were all sorts of rumours about the place; from the standard haunted house stories to human experimentation to outlandish claims that the house itself killed people.

Cloud had always just assumed that the owners had gone broke and abandoned the place.

Still, there had been no trace of Vincent anywhere else; he had found the cart the older man used, but there was no sign of chocobo or driver. The only tracks he could find led here, so the best he could figure was that Vincent had been injured and made it here to heal up. He had to admit, the place certainly was creepy; he could understand how all the stories started. It was a shame, because he could tell at one time the place was beautiful. Now, however, the garden was unkempt, the roof missing more shingles than it had, some shutters were missing, and even some window panes were broken. Shivering slightly, the blond moved forward. All he had to do was make sure Vincent wasn't in the place and then keep searching.

Pushing open the door, the first thing that shocked him was the fact that the interior was spotless. It was dark, but there was not a single spot of dirt. The second thing was the three cat boys standing on the large, curving staircase.

"Who are you?"

"You're not supposed to be here."

"But we'll play with you."

It was all Cloud could do to not bolt right there. The boys were _creepy_; more cat than boy, they stared unblinking at him with identical green slit eyes. Still, they were obviously human enough to speak to him, so he would speak back.

"I am looking for my friend. Have you seen him? Tall, dark hair, doesn't speak much?"

"Yes, we have seen him."

"He is with our Uncle."

"He never wants to play with us."

The other two looked at the biggest, and the second tallest stroked the thick mane. "Don't cry Loz."

"Aren't we good enough to play with?"

Cloud shivered; he definitely felt like he had gotten dropped in 'Children of the Corn' or something. Those boys were definitely _not right_.

"Kadaj! Yazoo! Loz!" The boys jumped slightly at the booming voice.

"We're in the foyer Angeal."

"We have a guest."

"And Loz is crying again."

"Am not!"

An older man with two giant white wings walked into the room. He was also...different, covered in a dark pelt with matching ears and tail. Amber eyes locked onto his own.

"My apologies sir. I hope the boys haven't caused you any trouble." He gave a small bow before shooing the boys out a door into the back of the house. "What can I help you with?"

Head still spinning, Cloud repeated what he had told the first three.

"Ah, you must be speaking of Master Vincent. He had an unfortunate accident and has been laid up the last few weeks. I can take you to him if you'd like."

"Uh...yes, please." The formal speech of the other was making him feel even more like a country hick; the only other person he had ever hear speak like that was Tseng.

Following the man up the staircase, he glanced around, taking in the decor. The entire place looked like it was from a different time, and he found himself admiring it more than the modern style of houses. He also noticed there was one small garden at the back of the house that was tended, while the rest had fallen into ruin. Frowning, he pushed the oddity out of his mind; it didn't matter to him how these strange people kept their gardens.

They passed through a long hallway, and towards the end Cloud could see a light coming through a doorway. Angeal stopped there, and Cloud was relieved to see Vincent lying on the bed reading.

"Cloud! I am so sorry; if I had thought you'd be back from Midgar already I would have sent word that I was alright. I hope you haven't been looking too long?"

Cloud smiled at the paternal care in the man's voice. "No Vincent, it wasn't a problem. Tifa was more worried than I was; although from the looks of things, perhaps she had a right to be?" The blond pointedly looked at the man's bound knee.

The brunette waved it off. "I'll be fine in no time. Lady Aerith is a skilled healer; she had done wonders for my knee. I imagine it will be even better than it was when she's done."

"I'm glad to hear it. Will you have to stay here long?"

Vincent shook his head. "Another week or so, and I'm told I'll be okay to travel."

Movement at the door caught Cloud's attention and he looked up as a female wolf walked into the door. He assumed this must be the Lady Aerith that Vincent was speaking about.

"How are you feeling today, Vincent?"

"I am well, thank you Aerith."

Cloud sat and watched as the woman worked, hands that were closer to paws hovering over the bound knee. He felt the tingle as the magic started to work, and ignored the grimace of pain as the knee was pushed to mend faster than nature intended. Thankfully, the healing was over quickly, and Vincent collapsed back on the bed. It was only a few minutes before he was asleep, but Cloud knew enough to know he was simply sleeping off the effects of the accelerated healing.

"It is a difficult break – I have to be careful not to heal it too fast, or the bones might mend incorrectly and cripple him. I am sorry it can't be done any faster."

Cloud nodded. He had never been particularly good at magic, but he knew the basics of healing magic at least. "Thank you. What will you need for payment for his healing?"

"Nothing...yet." She glanced between the two, a thoughtful look on her face. "You said he is your guardian, correct?"

At Cloud's nod, she smiled. "I'll think of something by the time he's healed. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here as well. I insist. We'll have you set up next door."

Before he could think to refuse, she rang a bell, and a man that looked, of all things, like a chocobo came into the room. Cloud did his best not to laugh at his twitchy demeanour. If Reno could see him, he'd never call Cloud a chocobo again. "Luxiere, can you please set up the room next door for Cloud? And Vincent will need dinner once he's awake. Cloud, would you like to eat in here with him or down in the dining room with us?"

A bit overwhelmed by the ease with which she took control of the situation, he could only stammer out that he'd like to eat with Vincent.

"Good, I figured. Two meals need to be brought up here then Luxiere. And perhaps you could bring a bath and fresh clothes for Cloud."

The man – Luxiere – bobbed his head with each instruction, and with a quick, "yes ma'am" was off as soon as she was done.

Cloud really, _really_ wanted to ask why everyone looked the way they did, but he knew it would be incredibly rude so he kept his mouth shut. Vincent didn't seem too concerned, so he wouldn't be either. So long as those creepy cats stayed away from him.

* * *

It was the following day when Cloud met the master of the house. He had woken up, and after cleaning himself up, walked next door to visit Vincent. The blond assumed that the other man would be getting bored out of his mind being bedridden for so long.

He was correct, but it appeared that the brunette already had company.

There was a large...creature, half sitting on the bed next to his guardian. It looked somewhat like a Behemoth, but...smaller. And wearing clothing – or at least pants. As the creature – man? – turned around, he was struck by the eyes. They were green and cat slit like the boys in the foyer, but infinitely sadder. Cloud found himself wanting to reach out and comfort him, to fix whatever pain had caused that sadness. He shook himself slightly to get rid of those distracting thoughts, and focused on his guardian.

Vincent gave his small smile when Cloud walked into the room. "Good morning Cloud. I trust you slept well? This is Sephiroth; he is the one who owns this house."

Cloud nodded. No matter what the man looked like, he had helped his oldest and dearest friend, and that was good enough for him. "Thank you, my Lord, for taking care of Vincent. Please tell me what I can do to repay you."

The strange beast man waved his offer of repayment off. "It is nice to simply have company. And I have found Vincent and I have a lot of interests in common."

Vincent smiled slightly. "Sephiroth has quite the armoury, apparently, and he and I have been discussing weaponry. I look forward to seeing his collection when Aerith tells me I am able to walk. "

Cloud didn't bother to try and hide his interest. "Swords?"

The...man...chuckled. "I see Vincent has passed on his love of weaponry?"

Smiling, the blond nodded. "Yes, I have always wanted to learn sword work, unfortunately there was only Vincent who is more experienced in guns and Zangan, who taught me hand to hand, available to teach me in Nibelheim."

"Then it's settled. While Vincent recovers, I'll request Angeal and Zackary teach you how to use a sword."

* * *

Zack looked at his prince, who was, as usual, staring out into the garden. It had been a week since their newest guest had arrived, and the wolf thought he had been patient enough. "Well?"

The man knew what his friend wanted; the question had come up enough times. "I find Vincent a wonderful person to talk to; we have had a lot of good conversations about weaponry."

"But no spark, huh? How about the blond? He's pretty cute. And completely your type."

"That; and I believe he prefers females exclusively. But the blond...yes, he is...cute, as you say."

"So? Go for it!"

"Zackary..." He turned from the windows, looking directly at the shorter man for the first time since their conversation started. "I am not even close to human anymore. Any hope I may have had in breaking this curse was lost long ago. He will leave in a few days with his guardian."

"Seph..." Anything more he was going to say was cut off by a growl and the rapid disappearance of the other man. Even with the extra weight, he still moved quickly. "Don't give up hope..."

* * *

"Well Vincent, I think you're ready to go." The brunette smiled and patted the older man's leg. Vincent had to admit, she was a very talented healer. As bad as the break was, it should have taken twice as long to heal.

"Thank you Aerith. I feel wonderful."

"Great! Well, now, you know I hate to do this, but there is the matter of payment. I've talked it over with the master of the house, and we've decided...Cloud would make good payment."

"What?" Both men looked at her in astonishment.

"You mean there are things that you would like me to do for you, correct?" Cloud really didn't want to think of the _other_ sort of payment she could mean. Well, considering what everyone looked like, even if they acted civil, he could think of two payments, both equally disturbing.

She frowned a bit, but shook her head. "No, not quite. We're all just quite attached to you, so we want you to stay."

Cloud looked from Vincent back the Aerith. "For how long?" It wasn't that he didn't like the people here, but the reason he hadn't stayed in Midgar was Vincent.

"A year?" The hopeful look on her face made him really want to say yes. He imagined it was lonely here; unable to even leave for fear of persecution. Still...he looked at his guardian.

"Stay Cloud; it is well past time I went back to Midgar anyway. Taking care of you has long since ceased to be a valid excuse."

Cloud nodded, and smiled at the brunette, who squealed and threw herself into his arms. "Thank you Cloud! You have no idea how happy this will make S...us!"

Rolling his eyes at the blatant matchmaking, he hugged the woman back; glad he could make them that happy.

* * *

"WOOOOOOO!"

Three identical sets of silver cat ears swivelled at the yell, and the three brothers scattered. Angeal sighed with patient amusement as he got a bundle of wolf puppy in his arms.

"He's staying 'Geal! He's really going to stay! He's the one, I KNOW it!" The younger man's body actually shook as his tail wagged.

"Yes, Zack, I heard you the first ten times you yelled it. We all _do_ have very sensitive ears, you know."

The younger wolf grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Angeal. It's just...after all this time, ya know? I mean, not that it's not been fun, but I want to marry Aerith, I want to have kids, not puppies. NO jokes about that, or I'll sic Aerith on you."

Angeal sighed, and nodded. As optimistic as Zack always acted, he still had his limits, and over a century slowly growing closer to a canine would be enough to dampen anyone's spirits.

"I'm sure that Cloud will be the one. Even the short time he's been here has seen Sephiroth in better spirits."

"Sure, so long as his pessimism doesn't scare him off."

"We will all help them."

Zack grinned, matchmaking ideas already flowing. "Thanks Angeal. I've gotta go now though, I promised to give him lessons in sword work."

Angeal raised a curious eyebrow. "Swords?"

"Yup. Apparently the first conversation they had was about swords. So I'm gonna start training him so he can spar with Seph."

The older man chuckled. "If they start sparring, I doubt we will have to do much at all."

Zack blinked, and then understanding dawned. "Damn Angeal, I didn't think of that. I better get going then!"

Angeal just shook his head as his 'pup' ran off, tail once again wagging happily.

* * *

Cloud stared across the yard, excited for the upcoming spar. After the months of training with Angeal and Zack, Sephiroth had finally agreed to spar with him. Zack had told him that before the curse, he had been the greatest swordsman in the kingdom. Cloud could barely wait to see the other man in action. True, he knew after just a few months, there was no way he'd be able to even get close to matching Sephiroth's skill, but at least he'd finally been considered proficient enough to spar. A flash of silver signalled Sephiroth's arrival, and Cloud could only stare at the huge sword the man carried. It was easily longer than Cloud was tall; though not quite to the other man's height.

"That is some sword. Did you have that specially made?" Cloud tried to never directly refer to the curse, but it was implied.

Sephiroth chuckled. "Yes, a long time ago. This was made for me when I reached my majority."

Cloud was surprised, to say the least. Sephiroth must have been quite tall even as a man, to wield a sword that long. The blond found himself flushing as his thoughts took a decidedly lewd turn. He had been finding himself attracted to the other man, regardless of what he looked like. It was his eyes that drew him in – he didn't know if they'd be the same brilliant shade of green if he was human, but either way they were beautiful. He also liked to imagine that they looked a little less sad when the blond was around, although that may just be wishful thinking.

He greatly enjoyed spending time with the cursed man. While he enjoyed spending time with Zack and Aerith, it was Sephiroth whose conversation and company he craved.

He would gladly admit that Zack was quickly becoming a very close friend; even if the other had a tendency to get into trouble. Aerith was also becoming a good friend, and he could see why Zack was so taken with her. The love they had for each other was blazingly obvious and even more amazing when he found out they had been cursed for well over a century at this point. He still avoided the three brothers as much as he could – the way they talked still bothered him, and they were usually more than content to stay away from him as well. The fact that they had taken to calling him 'big brother' was slightly disturbing as well.

The 'servants – Kunsel, Luxiere, Barrett, Cid and Shera, he barely saw. He had figured that was more of a discomfort with Sephiroth than himself though, and when he had asked Angeal about it, he had just said that they would have to tell Cloud for themselves, if they wished to. With his busy schedule of lessons, however, he hadn't had a chance.

Besides, when he wasn't sparing with Zack or Angeal, he would much rather spend him time with Sephiroth.

And now he was able to combine the lessons with spending time with the older man, and he was excited – as well as exceedingly nervous. Even if he knew, logically, that Sephiroth wasn't going to judge him for not being as proficient in sword work as he was, Cloud still didn't want to make a complete fool of himself.

It was obvious when the spar started that Sephiroth was holding back – a lot. Still, the clash of sword on sword was exhilarating, and it was easy to lose himself in the flow of the fight. The older man seemed to be enjoying himself as well, a fierce light in his eyes. It was the first time Cloud had seen him that the sadness was completely absent, and the blond found himself stumbling slightly as he forgot about the swords and the spar, and lost himself in the strange eyes. He tried desperately to regain his lost ground, but unfortunately it didn't take too much longer before he had been disarmed and found Masamune resting by his neck.

The intensity faded from his eyes, and Sephiroth removed his sword and nodded. "Not bad, for our first spar. You were doing well until you let yourself become distracted. Shall we meet here again this time tomorrow to try again?"

Cloud nodded, swallowing heavily at the proximity. "Yea. Yea, I'd like that a lot." He would just have to avoid looking Sephiroth in the eyes during their next spar.

"Great. I suppose you'd best go find Zackary or Angeal to continue your lessons."

Flushing at the less than subtle hint that he still had a lot to learn, Cloud walked to retrieve his sword. When he turned back from picking the broadsword up, Sephiroth was gone.

* * *

Cloud groaned as his sword went flying in one direction and he landed heavily on the ground. That was the sixth spar in as many days that he had lost abysmally. He did perfectly fine with Zack, and even Angeal he could hold his own against, but Sephiroth didn't fail once to knock him on his ass, usually within minutes of the spar starting.

He reached out a clawed hand to help Cloud to his feet, frowning. "You allowed yourself to become distracted again. I think we will have to stop our spars until you have gotten over whatever it is that is distracting you."

Without waiting for a response, Sephiroth turned and stalked into the mansion, leaving Cloud standing there disheartened. It was Sephiroth himself that distracted Cloud – the flash of his jade eyes, the grace with which he moved; the fierce look on his face. There was no way that he was going to get over that without actually sparing with him. With a sigh, Cloud collected his sword and headed in the same direction Sephiroth had headed in.

* * *

Sephiroth growled and ripped through another curtain as he watched the blond walk into the mansion. He knew the boy was upset that they weren't going to spar again, but it couldn't be helped. The blond _did _ get distracted with him in a way he didn't with his other two mentors, and the only thing that Sephiroth could figure out was that Cloud, for all that he could speak to him fairly normally, was still scared of him to an extent. Sure, it wasn't present in the day to day things and their conversations normally went fairly smoothly. It was actually...sweet...the way the younger man tried to make sure the conversation never touched on his curse, or Midgar, or any place he might miss. Sephiroth had long accepted the fact of his existence, and had it just been about the curse, he would have assumed the blond was uncomfortable talking about it, but his stumbled attempt to change the subject when he brought up his trip to the city where Sephiroth was once Prince proved that avoiding the subject was out of a desire to be polite.

But once they started sparring that disappeared. The fear came back – Sephiroth could see it in the glazed look in his eyes, and the delay in his responses. He wasn't _truly_ surprised – he had been considered a fearsome opponent before his curse, and he knew his love for battle showed on his face – once upon a time he had been able to keep his face fairly composed, but it was clear in his eyes to anyone who knew what to look for.

There was also the fact that every time he knocked Cloud to the ground, the desire to hold him there and rip his clothes off was growing. That part of him was long gone, and he was glad for it. He didn't want to force the blond like he had so many of his bed partners in the past. In the unlikely event he took Cloud to bed, he wanted the younger man to want it just as badly as he did.

* * *

Four months. Four months had passed since the two had sparred. Cloud and Zack were now fairly evenly matched, although his more canine aspects _did_ still give him a bit of an advantage, and he was able to last much longer against Angeal, although blow for blow he would never be as strong as the other man. Angeal had simply shrugged and said that it was the blond's speed and agility that would win him battles.

Sure, their conversations had continued. They ate dinner each night, the entire group of them, in the large dining room. Shera, the head cook, was excellent at her job, even if he had been a little nervous when he saw the large furry tail she sported. The thought of pulling squirrel hairs out of his dinner wasn't a pleasant one. Still, eight months into his stay here and he'd yet to find a hair. He supposed that after the long years of practice it only made sense.

After dinner was when the two would retire to Sephiroth's rooms and talk. They had originally spoken mostly of swords and combat, but once they had talked those subjects into the ground, they branched out, covering any topic that came to mind. Zack had mentioned how amusing it was that two such normally quiet men talked so much to each other (which Cloud had just responded to by saying that when Zack was around there wasn't enough _air_ for anyone else to talk)

Cloud still felt, however, that there was a barrier between them. That sadness was still in his eyes, and there were topics that were clearly off limits. There _had _been a spark of...something...whenever they had spoken before, but now it was gone, and Cloud hated it. When Cloud had finally gotten his courage up to ask Zack about the curse, he had found out that the entire mansion had been cursed because of Sephiroth's cruelty in the past. Now, he felt guilty about it, but mostly because everyone else was suffering for his faults.

For a while, Cloud's company had eased some of those feelings of guilt, and Sephiroth had generally been happier. Now, that little bit of happiness had left, and he Cloud felt that somehow it was his fault. The coldness had returned when the spars had stopped. So, in his mind, there was only one good solution.

"I want to spar."

Sephiroth blinked at him, gorgeous cat eyes sharpening on his own. "You will not get distracted?"

Cloud wasn't really sure of that himself, but he was willing to try again. "No."

One sharp nod was his response, and he was striding off towards the armoury. Cloud followed beyond, nearly having to jog to keep up. Sephiroth collected Masamune, and handed the sword that he had requested Barrett make for the blond. It was a large blade, since he had been learning his fighting style from Angeal and Zack, but much more complicated than either of theirs. Cloud had named it First Tsuragi when Sephiroth had said that any good sword needed a name.

From the armoury, they walked out to the practice field, and Cloud barely had time to get into position before the other man was coming at him. The tactic was effective in that Cloud didn't have time to get distracted – he had to use every trick Angeal and Zack had taught him just to keep his feet and his sword.

The spar came to an unexpected halt when the Masamune glanced off Cloud's blade and tore through his shirt. The blond stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his feet. The strike hadn't hit his skin, merely his clothing, so he struck back, attempting to regain his lost ground. Sephiroth easily countered, but now the older man seemed to be the one distracted. Still, it only took a few more parries before his own sword was flying through the air, and he was once again flat on his back.

Cloud had no time to react when Masamune was flung to the side and the larger man practically pounced on him. The blond closed his eyes, thinking that perhaps Sephiroth had actually snapped, when he felt lips descending on his own.

Before he could properly respond, those lips were gone, Sephiroth looked shocked at his own actions, and his mouth moved wordlessly. Cloud sensed that the other man was about to flee, and did the only thing he could think of – lean up and kiss him again. Sephiroth groaned, and pushed the blond back down, deepening the kiss. Cloud moaned his own approval, and reached up to tangle his hands in the long silver fur.

They had only kissed for a few minutes, when Sephiroth pulled his head up, eyes wide. "This...does not bother you?"

Cloud groaned, and grabbed his clawed hand, drawing it down to his groin. "Does it feel like it does?" If Sephiroth stopped now, the blond didn't know what he'd do.

* * *

Awaking slowly, it took Cloud a minute to realize he wasn't in his own bed. The torn silks and sliced curtains gave away who the owner was, however. The twinge that went down his spine reminded him _why. _Cloud felt a blush coming on when he realized that they had fucked right in the middle of the practice yard, where _anyone_ could (and probably did) see them. Burying his head in the pillow he groaned. Zack was _never_ going to let him hear the end of this.

"Are you truly having regrets?"

The voice was quiet, and if Cloud hadn't gotten to know the other man as well as he had, he'd never have been able to pick up on the sadness tingeing the short sentence. He quickly shook his head, raising his head from the pillow.

"No, not at all...well, maybe a slight regret about _where._ Zack is going to be insufferable. But no, I'm actually really happy."

Sephiroth chuckled, a sound that Cloud decided he liked a _lot. "_I will have a talk with Zackary." He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his hand tentatively moving to stroke through Cloud's spikes. "A bed is a much more...appropriate place, as well."

Cloud smiled, and leaned up to kiss the larger man. "Yes, I suppose it is."

* * *

Cloud looked at the message that had come from town. He couldn't imagine what Tifa was feeling – she was free to return to Midgar and her fiancé, but at the loss of her father. Just because she knew, logically, that it was coming, didn't make it any easier.

And now the blond wasn't sure what he should do. He had agreed to a year in the mansion, and there was still three months of that time left. Even if there wasn't the deal, it's not like he wanted to leave. Especially when he thought about the events of the last couple of weeks. He couldn't help the flush in his cheeks as he thought about it. It _should _bother him – after all, Sephiroth wasn't really quite human. However, that just didn't bother him anymore. Their encounters were intense, and extremely satisfying, and what Sephiroth looked like no longer mattered to him. The feeling of completeness he felt was far more important. But at the same time, Tifa needed him. He sighed, and headed towards Sephiroth's study. All he could do was ask – it's not like he _wanted_ to leave, but he owed it to his oldest friend.

He knocked on the door and entered; Sephiroth was, as usual, reading, but looked up as the blond entered.

"Cloud? Is everything okay?"

He shook his head, fidgeting in front of the taller man. Sephiroth's head nearly reached his chin even when reclined. "Tifa's father died. I was hoping – I know that I promised to stay a year, but..."

A flash of pain went through the cat slit eyes, but was quickly gone. "But you need to leave."

Cloud grimaced. "Only for a while. I'll go, help Tifa with the funeral and her move and then come back. Maybe a month or two at the most."

Sephiroth sighed, but shook his head. Cloud was about to argue further, when he found himself pulled down onto the broad lap. Sephiroth caught him in a deep kiss, claws barely digging into the skin of his back. Cloud was breathless and had completely lost his train of thought when Sephiroth finally pulled away.

"Go. Your friend needs you. I...will understand if you decide to not come back."

The blond shook his head. "I promise I'll be back. I _want_ to come back."

Sephiroth smiled lightly, and it was clear that he didn't believe what Cloud said. Still, the only way to prove him wrong was to actually return. With a last brief kiss, he got up and left the study to return to Nibelheim.

* * *

"Sephiroth."

The former prince looked up in shock at the voice he had only heard once before. Sure enough, the redhead was standing in front of him, staring at him with an indiscernible look. He looked between the nearly full-Behemoth and the nearly bare tree. "You have a little less than a day left."

Sighing, Sephiroth nodded. "I am aware of that." The others couldn't _feel_ the time ticking away, but he could sense exactly how long he had.

"Hmm, and you have not found anyone?"

"I have, but he has left. As you know." Sephiroth paused, but his pride wasn't worth this. "Please, remove the curse from my ser...from my friends. They don't deserve this fate."

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the pleading tone of his voice. "Would you sacrifice yourself for them? If I said that, even if the one you love returns your love, you will have to stay like this?"

Sephiroth only paused for a minute; the chances of Cloud returning were small, and not worth the lives of everyone here. Besides, even should the blond return, it wasn't likely he would return Sephiroth's feelings. "Fine. Do it."

With a small smile, the other man nodded. "It's done. Tomorrow afternoon, when the tree is completely bare, your friends will be returned to their human states."

Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled. "Thank you. By the way, what is your name?"

Already on his way out of the garden, the man turned back with a grin. "It is Genesis."

"Then thank you...Genesis."

* * *

The welcome sight of Nibelheim came into Cloud's view and he urged his chocobo faster. Now that Tifa was safely in Midgar, and happily married to Rude, he could get back to the mansion and Sephiroth. But first he would stop in to his old house and grab some of his belongings that he had missed during his time there. After this, he didn't plan on leaving until Sephiroth kicked him out. He put the chocobo in the stable and headed inside. Cloud was surprised to find the house unlocked and lit up. A sound at the door had the blond turning around, not knowing who to expect in what was still _his _house. However, he was shocked and disgusted to see Dr. Hojo standing in the doorway with a leer on his face.

"Hojo. What are you doing here?"

The doctor sneered. "I came to look for you of course. I saw that guardian of yours leave months ago, but you never returned. It took a while, but I figured out that you had been taken captive by those monsters in the mansion. I of course sent word to the King to have them taken care of. He was rightfully appalled to hear of a nice young man like you had been preyed upon by such foul creatures."

Cloud's heart clenched. "What – what are you talking about?" He wouldn't believe that Seph and the rest could be taken down, regardless of who the King sent.

"Oh yes. I had a group come out from Midgar to exterminate their presence. It was the elite bodyguards – the Turks. Have you heard of them? It was only a matter of time before we were all murdered in our sleep. I know that you were kept captive there Cloud, but I want you to know that I don't care about that. I'll still take even something as tainted as you."

He held out his hand, and Cloud flinched back. Yes, he knew the Turks, far too well. No matter what, they got the job done. How could the man sit there and calmly say that his friends and his lover were all dead, and then think he'd _welcome_ that news, and his...affections? The man was clearly deluded.

Hojo frowned, and continued to advance. "Come now Cloud. You know I've been meaning to have you since I arrived. I am a wealthy man; I can make you very happy."

A thin hand grabbed at his arm and he shrugged it off. He was disgusted but not scared; Zack had been teaching him sword fighting, and between his and Angeal's training, the other man wasn't a threat. Too late he saw the needle headed for his unprotected skin.

The older man sighed, shaking his head sadly. "It's a shame; I didn't realize that those monsters had warped your mind so much. Don't worry, once we get to Junon you'll forget all about those unnatural things."

Cloud tried to move, but it felt like he was trying to wade through quicksand. His limbs responded sluggishly, and Hojo easily avoided the punch he aimed at the man's already crooked nose. He tried to run forward, knowing if he could just make it out the door he would be safe. But he only made it two steps before he tripped over too feet, sprawling across the floor in front of the crazed man. His thoughts turned to Sephiroth; he had been so happy to go back, and he had thought that Cloud would never return. It hurt to think that he had died believing that the blond had abandoned him. Of course he would return; he had promised to return. Sure, Tifa had been surprised when he had told her his plans to leave Midgar, even without anything keeping him there anymore, but Cloud always kept his promises.

But if it was just to fulfil a promise, why would he care that he was dead now? He let out a low moan as the truth he had avoided for so long hit him. He loved Seph; the man's clumsy attempts at romance, the arrogance that the other would try and fail to hide; the fact that he considered his 'servants' annoyances and beneath them, but did little things that showed just how much he cared.

He loved when those slit green eyes would narrow at him, seeming to look straight into his soul. He loved how after always having to be the strong one, he could melt into Seph's strong arms and let him be the strong one for once. He remembered the look the first time he had kissed him, shock and desire and a tentative, flickering hope in his strangely beautiful eyes.

Too little, too late. Sephiroth was dead now, and he was lying on the floor of his own house at the mercy of the man responsible for his loss. His hands clenched, and he tried to control his tears. The effects of that shot would wear off, and he would make Hojo pay. He felt his fingers touch something metal. Cloud moved his head, trying to see what was there. It was only a short knife, but it would do. Hojo leaned down to pick up the blond. Cloud was frankly surprised the other man had the strength to do that; maybe he had underestimated him a bit. He certainly hadn't expected the other to drug him. Still, he had to take this chance, just in case the doctor decided to keep him drugged. Forcing his arm to move, he brought the hand with the knife up, and using every ounce of strength left in his body, he stabbed the man straight in the heart.

Hojo's eyes widened comically, and he stared down from the knife in his chest to Cloud. "Ungrateful bitch." He growled, as his eyes rolled back into his head and he toppled over.

Cloud hit the ground hard, but ignored the pain of impact to push the doctor's body off of him. He couldn't bear the other's touch a moment longer, dead or not.

Hours passed as the blond lay there, staring morbidly at the body of the doctor slowly cooling in front of him. The blood had spread, and his one leg was drenched in it. The desire to bathe was nearly overwhelming him, but his strength was returning very slowly. He wondered just how much of that drug the other had given him.

Finally, he was able to stagger to his feet. He went to the fireplace, and started a fire, wanting the water for his bath to be as hot as possible. After far too long and with his strength failing a few times, he finally had the tub filled. He rinsed himself off as thoroughly as he could before climbing into the scalding water. His pale skin turned pink almost instantly, and he cringed at the heat, but it was worth it. Cloud stayed in the water until it started to cool, and then dragged himself out and upstairs. He dressed quickly, and packed everything of worth. Before he left for good, he wanted to go to the mansion; he had no doubt that the Turks Hojo had requested wouldn't lay his friends to rest properly, and they deserved a decent burial. Guilt threatened to overwhelm him, but he shoved it down to deal with later.

Once that task was done, not a small feat considered he would be doing it alone he would go to Midgar and find Tifa and Rude. He could never return to this town again. He could only pray it wasn't Reno and Rude's group that had been the ones sent to Nibelheim. Cloud decided that he might be better off not asking at all; ignorance in this case would be bliss – or at least not despair. As he left the house he didn't spare a single glance for the monster in the guise of a man lying in a pool of his own blood. Once he was far enough away, he turned and aimed a fire spell at the house he had lived in for most of his life. The flames burned quickly, but he had to leave before the fire attracted the rest of the town. Thankfully they had lived on the outskirts, so there was little chance of anything else catching fire. Not that he would particularly care that much.

* * *

When the manor house came into sight, the lights in the windows drove Cloud into a killing rage. Those bastards had killed his friends, his love, and now they were going to claim the house as their own? He snarled and kicked his chocobo forward. Jumping off as he reached the door, he drew his sword and threw open the door.

An older blond was in the doorway, and he blinked at the enraged intruder wielding a sword nearly as big as Angeal's. Before he could complete his blow, however, a sword met his own, and Cloud found himself staring into the calm gaze of the King's head bodyguard.

Shocked and saddened by what seeing the Wutaian here meant, Cloud drew back. "Tseng?"

"Strife. Might I ask why you were attacking Lazard? And what are you doing here, anyway?"

Before Cloud could respond, however, there was a blur of black and a yell of "Spiiiikkkkeeey!" before the blond found himself on his back. He stared up incredulous at his best friend, who he had spent most of the day mourning. His throat worked a few times before sound finally came out.

"Zack...but...I thought you were dead." He sat up, and realized that Zack was...different. He was fully human. A corner of his mind noted that he actually rather missed the ears and tail, they just sort of...fit...the other man. "What happened? Why are you human?"

"Isn't it great? We were all just going about our normal days earlier, and all of a sudden, everyone passed out. We woke up and were back to normal. Aerith and I are getting married as soon as we get back to Midgar."

"That's...great. But how did it happen? I thought Seph said there wasn't a cure to the curse."

Zack stood up and offered a hand to his friend. "Yea, well, that's because Seph turned into a pessimist. The cure was simple enough; someone just had to love him."

Angeal had joined the small group to the foyer. "He cut it close too. You know that tree everyone was forbidden to go near? He had to have someone fall in love with him by the time the last apple fell. It was on its last one for a while, and that one probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few days, maybe even a few hours." Cloud glanced at Angeal as he spoke; the older man didn't really look that different; the fur and wings were gone, but he had always kept his clawed hands and feet hidden, as well as the ears and tail.

But if someone had admitted their love to the Seph earlier that day..."Where is Seph now?"

"The Prince disappeared after breakfast; he has been known to do this. He hasn't come back yet, but I am sure he will be back for dinner."

Out with whoever had won his heart. But Cloud contented himself with the fact that at least he was alive and human again.

"So why did you think I was dead?" The brunette had cocked his head to the side, similar to how he had when he was a wolf, and Cloud had to wonder if it was something he'd always done or a mannerism he'd picked up from being a wolf.

Cloud couldn't stop the shudder that ran through his body. "I ran into Hojo on the way back, he said he had hired people to come and take care of the _monsters_ living here. "

The blond who Tseng had called Lazard finally spoke up. "That man causes nothing but trouble."

Tseng nodded. "We will take care of him on the way back to Midgar."

"Um...that won't be necessary."

Tseng raised an elegant eyebrow, asking without speaking for him to explain. "We got into an...altercation...and I stabbed him. He's definitely dead."

Zack snickered, and Angeal swatted the back of his head. Tseng just nodded, but Cloud detected the faintest hint of a smile, and Lazard wasn't even trying to hide his smile. "Good riddance to him then. He caused all matter of problems in the capital, but never enough that Rufus could order his death. Thankfully, I was the one he approached, and I requisitioned my brother's personal guards to 'take care of the problem.'"

"We had all heard the stories, and the rumours, but had always assumed they were just that. It is true that Prince Sephiroth had disappeared generations ago; his mother, Queen Jenova had searched for him for years, before he was declared dead and the first Shinra was named as the heir. It was a few decades after her death that the first rumours started; people would be caught by people that were more beast than human, and they would barely escape with their lives."

Zack sniffed, looking offended. "If we wanted them dead they would have been. We _let_ them go once they pissed themselves after taking one look at Seph. Fucking cowards."

Angeal couldn't hide his smirk at his protégé's words. "We- and by that I mean Zack and Aerith – were attempting to find someone to break the curse. Obviously, it never worked."

"Hey, yea it did! The curse is broken if you didn't notice."

Lifting a sceptical eyebrow, Angeal just _looked_ at him. Zack shuffled under his gaze.

"Eh...well, we _sort_ of did. Aerith and I found Vincent, and Cloud came to look for him. That sorta counts right? And it was Aerith who came up with the deal to have Cloud stay in place of Vincent!"

Cloud stared at his friend incredulously. "_Aerith_ was the one who decided that?"

Zack looked inordinately proud of his fiancé. "Yup! She may look like an innocent angel, but she's really devious and evil underneath."

Thinking back on some of the things the couple had done, Cloud had to concede that he had a point. Either way, he was grateful for Zack distracting him from the heartache of knowing _why_ the curse had broken. He'd let them continue to think he was the cause of the curse breaking, because the alternative was still too painful to think about.

* * *

Sephiroth stared at his reflection in the pool. The only part of him he could still recognize, especially as he had smashed all of the mirrors in the manor long ago, was his eyes. Still, at least he had made sure that he would be the only one to suffer. He planned on staying out here until he was sure that the rest of the household had left. There had to be some indication when the curse became permanent; then it would only be a matter of the rest of them packing and leaving. It was likely they would stay the night, but with his pelt one night – or even several – wouldn't harm him. Still, he couldn't bring himself to regret his choice. It was the right thing to do, regardless of how lonely he got. Maybe his mind would eventually change into that of a beast as well – then it would only be a matter of time before someone had to come kill him.

With a last glance at the pool, he decided to head to the mountains; there were several caves he knew of that the others wouldn't be able to get to in human form; just in case one of them had the smart idea to come look for him. They had given up enough of their lives for him; it was time for them to move on.

He was halfway up the mountain when he felt the first wave of dizziness hit. With strength born of desperation, he launched himself towards the first solid ledge he saw, and had barely gotten himself safely onto it before he lost the fight with consciousness.

* * *

Cloud watched with amusement as Sephiroth's nephews fought. It was amazing to watch everyone who was now human acting almost the same as they had previously. It was probably mean to think about it, but once assured by Angeal that everyone's personality's had remained – with the notable exception of Sephiroth – the same as before the curse was set, he was amazed at how accurate their other forms had been.

As soon as the curse had broken, Cid and Shera had left, heading towards their one-time home in Rocket Town. They had said there should still be some of their relatives there, and they wanted to get out of the mansion that had become their jail. Invitations had been extended to everyone, including the Sephiroth, but they weren't willing to hand around any longer. Barrett was packing with Marlene, although they were going to wait and head back to Midgar with Lazard and the Turks.

Luxiere and Kunsel were going to go back with them as well; Lazard had already promised them a place in his own household if they didn't want to remain with Sephiroth, but to everyone's surprise both men had said they wanted to stay on in the former Prince if he would have them.

Angeal, Zack and Aerith refused to contemplate any plans until they knew where Sephiroth had gone, although it was a given they would return to Midgar eventually – Zack and Aerith were far overdue for their wedding, and Angeal had promised to be Zack's best man. Aerith had shyly asked Cloud if he thought Tifa would be okay with being her maid of honour. After Cloud had spent most of the trip to Midgar talking the brunet's ear off about his friends in the mansion, he couldn't see how she would say no.

The three boys had talked the Turks accompanying Tseng into a trip around the world. Lazard, speaking on his brother's behalf, said that since they _were_ technically royalty, there was no problem with the Turks going. Cloud was slightly concerned when Reno and Cissnei joined the boys in planning their trip, but Tseng seemed confident that he and Elena could keep the others in line.

Reno had made a few subtle advances on the blond since, but Cloud wasn't interested. Maybe, once he was over Sephiroth, he'd be willing to take the redhead up on his offer, but for now, he was distracted by the fact that hours had passed, and Sephiroth still had not returned.

* * *

Sephiroth groaned as the evening sun hit his eyes. Taking a minute to get his bearings on what had happened he remembered trying to get up Mount Nibel before blacking out. Frowning, he realized that had probably been the curse; ending for his friends, becoming permanent for him. With a sigh, he pushed himself up, nearly falling backwards as he was greeted by the sight of human hands. With an incredulous laugh, he stood up, trying to see as much of him as he could. The fur was gone, replaced by the pale skin he vaguely remembered. The tail was gone as well, although that made him nearly lose balance a few times – it was amazing how used to it he had gotten. A quick feel on his head showed that the horns were gone, and he noticed that his silver hair – always long – was now down nearly to his knees. Sephiroth was forced to tie his pants in a rather clumsy knot, as they were now far too large, and kept slipping off his once-again slim hips. He didn't know how it had happened; perhaps Genesis had decided that his 'sacrifice' was just as good as someone loving him. And now, maybe he could get Cloud to love him...just as soon as he figured out how to get down from the mountain. He peeked down the side. That wing would have come in really handy about now...

* * *

Night was quickly falling, and even though no one said anything, everyone was worried about the missing prince. Cloud couldn't help but think that the man had decided to just take off with whoever had stolen his heart - or perhaps he had reverted to the cold, cruel person he had been before the curse had been set. Kunsel and Luxiere had haltingly told him, some time ago, what he used to be like, and even Zack, who had been as close to a friend as the proud man would claim, had been forced to agree he was much easier to live with now.

Still, he couldn't help the fact that his heart sped up when he heard the door open. Zack went charging for the door, whooping as he went. Cloud followed at a more normal pace, almost afraid of what he would see. When he got to the foyer, he saw Zack practically hanging off a taller, silver haired man. His clothes were barely hanging onto his form, showing off a good deal of lean muscled chest and abs. Cloud could almost feel himself drooling at the sight. Still, he was relieved when he turned, and familiar cat slit eyes met his.

"Cloud." Sephiroth sounded surprised to see him, and Cloud realized how ridiculous this whole thing was. The man was gorgeous, whoever he had found while Cloud was in Midgar was obviously more fitting to be the man's spouse than some short, scrawny backwater hick.

His mouth worked for a minute, before he was able to get anything out. "I...I'm sorry." He ran. Cloud was not usually one to run, but this situation called for it. He couldn't be there to watch Sephiroth introduce whatever beautiful woman he had found.

Sephiroth stared in shock as the blond fled the foyer. He looked at Zack for an answer. "You better go after him Seph. He's had a hard day – he had a run in with that creepy doctor he was telling us about; apparently the man had him thinking we were all dead. But I guess whatever he said, we should be thankful for – he _did_ break the curse. And just in time, that last apple was looking pretty close to dropping."

"Wait – you mean it never did? Fall, I mean?"

Zack glanced at his friend, but shook his head. "No, thank Gaia. We wouldn't look like this if it had."

Sephiroth kept his mouth closed. The brunette wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he admitted to his deal with Genesis. It didn't matter anyway – because Cloud, apparently, loved him. With a smile, he strode in the direction Cloud had gone in.

He found the blond in the room he had given him, packing his few belongings. Sephiroth was disheartened at the sight, but now that he was sure of the other's feelings, he wouldn't be escaping so easily.

"Where are you going?"

The blond paused in his packing, but didn't look up. "Midgar."

"Hmm, I haven't been to Midgar in ages. We'll have to stop for me to get proper clothing however; all my old clothes are probably quite out of fashion."

That stopped the younger man, and he turned around with a confused look on his face. "What...I don't understand? Why would you come with me?"

"Why wouldn't I? The curse is broken and I can go anywhere I want again. And I'd like to go with you."

"Shouldn't you go with the person you love?"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "I'm trying, but he keeps shooting me down. I know how you feel Cloud, I wouldn't look like this if you didn't...and I know that I wasn't very good at showing my feelings before, but I do love you."

"But..." The blond's face grew thoughtful before he broke out into a soft smile. "I do love you Sephiroth. I just thought...I wasn't here, and when I came back the curse was broken. I thought you had found someone else."

Chuckling, the taller man reached out to stroke along Cloud's cheek. "I'm happy to know you're thinking of me even when you're not here." The blond's face darkened for a moment, but Sephiroth didn't have time to ask before he was pulled into a kiss. He loved how the other man's body fit against his, now that he was back to normal.

Breaking apart, he smiled down at the other man. "So...Midgar?"

Cloud blushed. "I suppose, if you want to. I have a friend who would love to meet you."

Sephiroth nodded. "I would love to meet her as well. And it's past time for me to pay my respects to my mother."

They headed back down to the dining hall, but Sephiroth couldn't help pausing as he passed the window above the garden. The tree was fully in bloom once again, dozens of apples ripening. He smiled at the flash of red he caught underneath the branches. "Thank you."

* * *

Genesis sat with his back to the apple tree, munching on the apple that would have fallen earlier that day. Angeal stood with his arms crossed over his chest leaning on the other side of the tree, looking up briefly as the former prince passed by.

"Well, Ang? I told you it would work."

Sighing, the bigger man reluctantly nodded. "It did. After nearly two centuries had passed, and trapping me in here with all of them."

Genesis just shrugged, unrepentant. "Hey, you always said you wanted to have wings. And you were the one complaining about what an utter bastard he was."

Groaning, Angeal gave up on the argument he knew he couldn't win. He pushed off the tree and held out a hand for the redhead. "Will you come inside for dinner? I think I can manage keeping you whole."

With a grin, Genesis accepted the hand up. "Sure thing, my friend. Apparently there are a few tall dark and handsome single men floating around in there." With a wink, the redhead strutted towards the manor.

Shaking his head in exasperation, he followed his friend. "Just please...no more curses!"

* * *

And they lived happily ever after...hopefully!

Loved it? Hated it? Let me know!

~Divanora


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